New in the journalIstanbul, beyond the expected
We start with the setting: the neighbourhood, the view, the way a place fits its surroundings. These notes describe kinds of stays worth seeking out and what to look for in each.
Novaire has no hotel partnerships, and nothing here is a paid placement. Photographs show the setting, not a specific property. See our disclosure policy.
The yalı, a timber mansion built at the water's edge, is the Bosphorus's signature building. A handful have become small hotels, and the villages around them offer the city's calmest mornings.
What to look for
Karaköy's banking-era buildings, with their high ceilings and stone stairwells, have been turned into some of the city's most considered small hotels. Galleries, ferries and the Historic Peninsula are all within walking distance.
What to look for
Cappadocia's cave hotels occupy rooms carved into the soft tuff, often joined to stone-built houses. Done well, they are cool in summer, quiet, and open onto terraces facing the valleys.
What to look for
In Kaş, the best stays are small: family-run guesthouses and boutique hotels on the slopes above the harbour, with sea-view terraces and the old town a short walk downhill.
What to look for